Perfect Winter’s Supper- Pork Sausages With Spiced Sweet Potato Mash

A winters night supper:

Sage flavoured Pork Sausages

Orange Sweet potato Mash with Orange and Spices

Onions with Chilli

Sage Butter

Steamed Broccoli

 This delicious supper all started with the humble pork sausage.

My local butcher had none in stock; the 2^nd shop had these beautiful sausages flavoured with fresh sage.  There is a secret to cooking sausages in a pan. Usually people toss the raw sausages into a pan with some oil and fry away. The result is that the sausages are often overheated on the surface, burst, releasing all the juices and the result is dry, with sometimes a slightly raw center!

About 30 years ago I was involved in developing pork banger recipes. It was then that a British Chef (now they know how to cook sausages!) taught me how to pan fry bangers. The secret is to start by poaching the sausages in water.

The full method can be seen in my HOW TO section: HOW TO PAN FRY SAUSAGES.

It is the season for sweet potatoes!

There are health benefits

Yes, they are loaded with carbs, but they are also packed with fibre, minerals and vitamins, including anti-oxidants. Knowing that they are healthier, I generally choose sweet potato fries in a restaurant mitigating the guilt versus traditional potato fries! If you prepare them with lashings of butter or fry them you will pack in the extra calories from the fats and oils.

My method of preparing sweet potato mash at least cuts out the fats.

Spices and citrus flavours marry so well with sweet potato. I also cook it very quickly in the microwave, with minimal liquid. This intensifies the flavours and the quick cooking retains more nutrients.

Orange zest and juice adds depth and cuts any richness from the accompanying dishes.

This potato is divine with any grilled meats or rich stews such as oxtail.

Recipe: Citrus spiced sweet potato mash

Sautéed Onions are a must with pork sausages

I simply sauté sliced red or white onions with a small amount of oil until they are pale golden. This time I wanted to continue the mild spicy them and added a sliced red chilli.

Sage butter to finish it off deliciously

This can be omitted, but it adds depth of flavour and richness to this plate.

As the sausages contained fresh sage & finished the dish with sage butter. To do this simply heat 10ml butter per person and add 3-4 sage leaves per person. Heat until the butter bubbles and just begins to brown.

Pour over the dish just before serving!

I also segmented an blood orange (you can use any orange!) and added the segments to the plate.